Roads connect us. They’re iconic of our dreams. They take us places.
In Matthew 8, Jesus encounters two people who are demon possessed, living by a road. They’re so dangerous the people in the town consider the road closed. But when the possessed people see Jesus, they fall at his feet, and the demons beg him to send them into a nearby herd of pigs. “Go then!” Jesus says. The possessed people are set free, and at that moment, the swineherd stampedes into the sea and drowns.
You’d expect the town to thank Jesus, right? Instead, they beg him to leave! See, they had learned to live with their roadblocks! Most people never have to deal with demonic possession, but we all have our figurative “demons.” And often we prefer to live with them instead of facing them head on. After all, it can be scary to deal with a sin in confession, a wound in counseling, or a conflict with another person! I think God’s calling us to more than that. Reclaim the road.
